Railroad-rail joint.



` 4 No. 7o8,6`o5. Patented Sept. 9, 9o2. w. c. WESSEL & H. w. JACOB. A I

RAILROAD BAIL JOINT.

(Application filed. Jan; 20, 1902.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. WESSEL AND HENRY W. J ACOB, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '708,605, dated September 9, 1902.

Application filed January 20,1902. S ria1No. 90,517. (No model To all whom 't may concrn:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM C. WESSEL and HENRY W. J ACOB, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Rail Joints, -of which improvement the following is a speeifieation.

This invention relates to certain new and useful inprovenents in rail-joints, and has for its object the provision of novel means for the effective joining of the rails together without the aid of the ordinary fish-plates and bolts and nuts. j

Briefiy described; our invention comprises a chair having a base and integral fish-plates and having fianges or ridges on the npper face of the fish plates which engage into grooves provided therefor in the underneath face of the rail-tread. The fianges of the fishplates have recesses formed therein to receive wedges, which `are driven therein after the rails have been placedin position in the chair. The chair is preferably constructed with a series of ribs, so as to give rigidityand strength thereto, all of which construction will be hereinafter more fully described. a

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views,in whichwhich is adapted to receive a flange 5 forned on the upper edge of' the fish-plates, this ridge or fiange being of a length so 'as to project some distance on each side of the joint between the two rails. Our improved joint consists of a chair embodying'integral fish-plates (3, having fianges 7 and a base 8. The fishplates where the web of the rail is made with a curve, as shown are given the same curvature, so as to conforn thereto, and in practice su fficient space is left between the fish-plates and the web of the rail to provide for expansion and contraction. The chair carries a series of ribs 9 to add strength and rigidity to the same and is provided with notches 10 to receive the securing-spikes. These notches are preferably made in the chair and short enlargements 11, as shown. The flanges 7 are provided at each end with recesses on their underneath face, into which are driven wedges 12, which are placed in position after the rails have been placed in the chairand serve to hold the 'joint in position. The recesses for these wedges, it will be observed,

may as readily be made in the upper face of [lengthened With this Construction 'it will be observed that the spreading of the rails or low joints will be impossible, whileprovision for the expansion and contraction has been made, and no bolts are employed 'in the fastening of the rails. w

The chair may be overcast or rolled or made in any suitable inanner, and in the practice of the invention it will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of` eon struction without departing from' the general spirit of our invention.

Having fully described our in vention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having the under faces of their treads grooved, of a chair carrying integral fish- 'to receive the spikes, the said fianges of the base being recessed at their endson the under side,and wedges adapted to be received within signed our names in the presence of two subsaid recessed fianges and engage the upper seribing witnesses.

face of the base, the wedges being located on WILLIAM C. WESSEL. each side of the rail-web and being engaged HENRY W. JACOB.

5 from the exte'o' of the ends of the chair- In presence of flanges, snbstantially as described. JOHN GROETZINGER,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto M. HUNTER. 

